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NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
FOR FISCAL YEAR 1997

(Senate - July 10, 1996)

[Page: S7524]

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, although I support many provisions of the bill, I will vote against the National Defense Authorization Act of 1997.

This bill authorizes more than $10 billion above the funding level requested by the administration and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This level of funding is simply unwarranted.

The United States spends more on its military than the next five countries combined, most of which are our NATO allies. The Soviet Union is no more and the cold war has been won. Our military must focus on the very real threats of today, not the ghost of the Warsaw Pact.

Furthermore, more than $2 billion of the congressional add-on is earmarked for programs that are not in the Pentagon's 5-year defense plan. These are programs that the Pentagon says it does not need now and will not need for the foreseeable future. Funneling billions of dollars into programs the military has made clear it does not need is bad policy in the extreme.

I am pleased that the managers have agreed to remove objectionable language concerning the ABM Treaty from the bill. While the removal of these legislative riders improves the bill, it still includes an unjustifiable authorization level for ballistic missile defense programs. I vigorously support funding for theater missile defense systems, but oppose the shift in emphasis contained to national missile defense systems. To deploy a national missile defense system as envisioned by the sponsors of this bill could cost up to $60 billion while contributing little to our national security.

The bill contains three amendments that I offered. An amendment offered by Senator Grassley and myself would cap the amount of reimbursable compensation for government contractors at $200,000. This amendment will put an end to the multimillion dollar bonuses that defense executives regularly pay themselves, and then pass the bill to the American taxpayer.

Another amendment I offered would make it easier for civilians to take advantage of the tremendous resources available at the Defense Language Institute. Also, the managers accepted an amendment I offered to extend a pilot program for the purchase of municipal services at the closing Fort Ord. I hope that the managers will work to retain these amendments in conference.